Police, PRIDE work together to prevent drug abuse

Putnam Deputy Chief Lee Konicki said heroin and opioid abuse is a national problem. Photo by D. Coffey.

Putnam Deputy Chief Lee Konicki said heroin and opioid abuse is a national problem. Photo by D. Coffey.

Denise CoffeyReminder News

Putnam Police, PRIDE work together to prevent drug use, abuse

Putnam Police Deputy Chief Lee Konicki usually begins his Friday mornings with a cup of coffee and a community meeting. Joining him is Romeo Blackmar, coordinator of PRIDE, and more often than not, Miranda Nagle and John Fournier from the Community Health Resources, and Putnam Town Manager Doug Cutler. The group meets regularly to discuss ways to prevent drug abuse within the community.

Their mission is a timely one: heroin use has increased in northeastern Connecticut, as it has nationwide. The supply is steady and the cost is reasonable. A bag of heroin that can serve as one dose costs from $4 to $10, according to Konicki. And its availability has spread from urban areas to rural areas.

"The problem is not a northeastern Connecticut one," Konicki said. "It's not a New England problem. It's a nationwide problem."

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, heroin use has increased by 55 percent from 2006 to 2012. According to the US Drug Enforcement Authority, overdose deaths increased 45 percent from 2006 to 2010.

Konicki and his officers have responded. Within the past six months they've made concerted efforts to deal with the problem head on. A K-9 has been trained to detect narcotics. Two officers have been assigned to investigate and follow up on drug investigations. Several search warrants have been served for heroin and prescription medication. They've made numerous arrests for possession and possession with intent to sell, based on motor vehicle stops. The department has also shared resources with the Plainfield and Willimantic Police Departments as well as the Quality of Life Task Force stationed at Troop D in Killingly.

"When you have those four agencies sharing information and keeping the lines of communication open, it helps," he said. "We're working a lot of the same cases from different angles. I think it's been pretty successful."

But the PPD has also joined with PRIDE (Partnership for the Reduction of the Influence of Drugs on Everyone) in its educational efforts. If they can stop someone from trying it, everyone is better off. PRIDE has brought together the expertise of a wide range of professionals. "The key to PRIDE's success is the diversity of our people," Konicki said. "Law enforcement, social work, drug prevention, health care professionals, town government leaders, educators, parents, and representatives from the business community are involved. It's a great working group."

That diversity is key to creative problem solving, according to Blackmar. They've addressed the problem of illegal drug use and the abuse of legal drugs on different fronts. Educational programs have targeted students. TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS), an intervention program aimed at those serving and selling alcohol, has been offered several times. Public service announcements, radio spots and billboard messages have spread the message about the danger of drug use and abuse.

"There are a lot of active people involved in this," Blackmar said. "The business community has been an outstanding supporter."

Nine drug take-back days in the last five years have collected more than 1,650 pounds of drugs. A prescription drug drop box in the PPD has encouraged people to dispose of their unused drugs easily. "We've emptied it three times in the last 11 days," Konicki said. In March police visited all the senior housing complexes in town. They collected 90 pounds of medication. They also had an opportunity to talk with residents and answer their concerns. It was so successful the department plans to hold another one in the fall.